Fashion Article: Alpaca Fiber – A Fabric More Versatile Than Wool

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Wool is a very popular textile fiber. I’m sure that most everyone owns something made from wool. Sheep’s wool is most common, but many people are allergic or otherwise sensitive to sheep’s wool.

This is where alpacas come into play. Alpacas are four legged mammals and of the same species as llamas. Their fur can be woven and processed into a fiber that resembles wool, which can then be used to create numerous articles of clothing, like alpaca sweaters, and is also very useful for household items, like place mats, ornaments, and baskets. Alpaca clothing provides form and function and has become quite popular in the world of fashion.

Characteristics of Alpaca Wool

Despite the fact that it closely resembles sheep’s wool, alpaca fiber is quite different. Here are a few of its notable characteristics.

Alpaca fiber has a lustrous, silky quality and tends to be warmer than sheep’s wool without the prickly feeling.

Alpaca fiber is a lot stronger than sheep’s wool. It is even stronger than the more expensive cashmere. However, alpaca is also much lighter and softer than either of those materials, making alpaca scarves perfectly comfortable for winter.

Alpaca does not retain water, making it great for rainy days.

Alpaca fiber is resistant to odor, stains, flames, and wrinkles and also protects against solar radiation.

The most important characteristic of alpaca fiber is its hypoallergenic qualities. Lanolin is the oil found in sheep’s wool and is often the substance attributed to wool allergies. Alpaca wool does not contain any lanolin, making it a great alternative for people allergic to wool.

The Downside

Unfortunately, alpaca wool tends to be much more expensive than normal sheep’s wool and other similar materials, but alpaca is not nearly as expensive as cashmere. The main reason for alpaca fiber’s high price tag is the fact that alpacas are sheared on a yearly basis and are not in great supply. This means that the material is incredibly rare. Cashmere is also sheared only once a year, though it usually takes fibers from three or four goats to get enough cashmere to make a simple sweater. Sheep are sheared once a year but thousands of sheep are sheared at once, making sheep’s wool much more available.

Uses of Alpaca

Still, alpaca is a wonderfully versatile fiber. It is soft and luxurious, making it perfect for sweaters, gloves, scarves, and other articles of clothing. Most importantly, alpaca fiber is hypoallergenic. Normal sheep’s wool contains lanolin, an oil that is naturally secreted from a sheep’s sebaceous glands. Lanolin is often the substance that is attributed to wool allergies. Alpaca fiber contains no oils or grease, making it a perfect substitute for traditional sheep’s wool. Alpaca fiber is a great choice for those needing hypoallergenic clothing and a comparable value for natural wool clothing.

Image courtesy of http://www.alpacacollections.com/.

About the author: Sam is a blogger who writes about fashion trends for both men and women. Fashion isn’t always about what are the new and trendy bags or scarves, it is also about how it makes you feel about yourself. Fashion has evolved from it being a necessity to it being an expression of who you are and what you are feeling. It’s time to go out there and start expressing yourself.